Humidifier



y 1932- H. A. GREENWALD ,865,563

HUMiDIFIER Filed Ap1 "il 7, 1950 lllg fi l INVENTOR flaraZZ/Z fremuradd Patented July 5, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HAROLD A. GREENWALD, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNO R TO THOMAS C. WHITE- HEAD, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN i HUMIDIFIER Application filed April 7, 1930; Serial No. 442,355.

This invention relates generally to humidifying systems and refers more particularly to an improved system having means for supplying moisture in practically invisible form into a room or chamber.

Heretofore the steam or water vapor at the discharge points of humidifying systems has been in the form of white clouds which, from an appearance viewpoint, have been objectionable. Wit-h the present invention, however, the steam or water vapor generated is commingled with another fluid within the system in such a way that the moisture 'discharged into the room is practically invisible.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a system embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawing, 1 is a float chamber adapted to receive water from a suitable source such as a water supfply pipe 2; 3 is a boiler in which water rom the float chamber 1 is adapted to be converted into steam or water vapor; 3 is a combustion chamber encasing the boiler; 4 is a burner for the boiler; 5 is a sheet metal jacket surrounding the top and sides of the combustion chamber in spaced relation thereto and having an open lower end adjacent the lower end of the boiler constituting an inlet for air from the atmosphere; 6 is a conduit leading upwardly from the jacket 5 to a room or chamber (not shown) 7 is a gas stack or flue rising from the upper end of the combustion chamber and extending through the top of the jacket at one side of the conduit 6; 8 is a steam outlet pipe rising from the upper end of the boiler in vertical alignment with the conduit 6 and terminating in substantially horizontal alignment with the lower end thereof; 9 is a cir-- cular nozzle secured to the upper end of thepipe 8 within the conduit 6 at the lower end thereof and having a series of jets 10 in its upper face through which steam or water vapor from the boiler may be discharged into the conduit 6; 11 is a trough beneath the nozzle 9 for receiving condensation; 12.

is a tube leading from the trough 11 tothe boiler adjacent the upper end thereof and having a U-shapedportion13 intermediate its ends constituting a trap to prevent steam jets 10 and tends (l) todraw the heated air from thespace A into the conduit 6 where it is commingled with and absorbs moisture .from the steam or water vapor, and (2) to push the moisture along the conduit in the direction of the arrows. In fact, the nozzle 9 creates an ejector effect and the lower end of the conduit 6 constitutes in effect a venturi. As soon as steam or water vapor from the nozzle 9 mixes in the conduit 6 with sulfic-ient air. from the space A, the air absorbs the vapor and approaches 100% humidity.

Thusmoisture in invisible form is discharged from the conduit6 into the room or chamber. The need for insulation around the combustion chamber is obviated because the heat given off by the exterior surface of said chamber is taken up by the air in the jacket which in turn delivers it to the room along with the water vapor. In the present. instance the air from the atmosphere tends as it is heated by the combustion chamber to rise in the space A and form an insulation for the combustion chamber. Hence the top 'andside walls of the combustion chamber may be devoid of insulation. As a result (1) the heat transferred from the combus- ,tion chamberzto the air is greater than heretofore, (2) the water absorbing capacity of ,the heated air is large, and (3) the amount of air needed to absorbthe steam from the nozzle is relatively small. In this connection it will also be noted thatthe heat from the stack 7 is also utilized to heat the air in the space A within the jacket at the top of e b e i 1 While it is believed that from the foregoing description the nature and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent, I desire to have it understood that I do not limit myself to what is herein shown and described and that such changes may be resorted to when desired as fall within the scope of what is claimed.

WVhat I claim as my invention is:

1. In a humidifier, a hood'having a flue, a combustion chamber within the hood having a stack extending through the hood, a boiler associated with the combustion chamber, a jet within the hood flue at approximately the juncture thereof with the hood, means for conducting steam and water vapor from the boiler to the jet, means below the jet for collecting condensation, and means associated with the last mentioned means for conducting such condensation back to the boiler.

2. In a humidifier, a combustion chamber having a stack rising therefrom, a sheet metal jacket surrounding the top and sides of the combustion chamber in spaced relation thereto, enveloping the stack and provided at its lower end adjacent the lower end of the combustion chamber with an inlet for air from the atmosphere, a flue projecting upwardly from the upper end of the jacket, a boiler within the combustion chamber, a steam outlet pipe rising from the upper end of the boiler through a wall of the jacket in substantially vertical alignment with the flue and terminating in substantially horizontal alignment with the lower end thereof, a nozzle secured to the upper end of the pipe and disposed within the flue at the lower end thereof, said nozzle being provided in substantial alignment with the flue with a jet through which steam from the boiler may be discharged into the flue, the construction and arrangement of the nozzle and flue being such that a venturi is provided at the lower end of the flue and causes air from the atmosphere to be drawn into the space between the combustion chamber and jacket so that it will be heated by the combustion chamber and subsequently discharged into the flue where it commingles with the Steam discharged from the nozzle. 7

3. In a humidifier, a combustion chamber having a stack projecting therefrom, a jacket surrounding the top and sides of the combustion chamber in spaced relation thereto, enveloping the stack and provided at its'lower end with an inlet for air from the atmosphere, a flue projecting from thejacket, a boiler 'where it commingles with the steam discharged from the nozzle.

In testimony whereof I aflixmy signature.

HAROLD A. GREENWVALD.

within the combustion chamber,a steam out-- I let pipe projectingfrom theboiler through a wall of the jacket and terminating'at the lower end of the flue, a nozzle secured to the upper end of the pipe and provided in substantial alignment with theflue "with a jet through whichsteam from the boiler may be discharged into the flue, the construction 

